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Updated: 1st September 2012 - GG.com

September Spills

Flat racing's caravan rolls on to Haydock in September for the first serious action of the month with the Betfred Sprint Cup on September 8.

Ortensia
© betting.betfair.com.au

For the most part the domestic sprinters are very much an average bunch and that has left the way clear for Australia's mighty mare, Ortensia, to land the King George and Nunthorpe sprints at Goodwood and York respectively and a hat-trick looks on the cards for the Aussie speedster at the Lancashire course.

If the ground does not turn soft, the luckless Bated Breath will pose the biggest threat to Ortensia's ambition of capturing a remarkable trio of Pattern race successes over sprint trips. The ground turned against Roger Charlton's classy sprinter at York and in this soggiest of summers, it seems almost impossible to believe that fast ground could prevail at the start of September.

On the same Haydock card watch out for any Luca Cumani-trained runners in the Old Borough Handicap. The Newmarket handler boasts a fine record with his runners at the Lancashire course and fresh from a strong handicap double at York's Ebor meeting, Cumani will be looking to land another valuable handicap prize. Over in Ireland, South Dublin's Leopardstown course stages two valuable Group One contests in the shape of the Matron and Champion Stakes on September 8.

September's racing calendar gives pride of place to Doncaster's four-day St Leger meeting and while that amount of days is probably one meeting too long for a fixture that often features a good deal of filler, racing clicks into gear on the second day, September 13, with the Park Hill Stakes, and Dermot Weld's late-developing Pale Mimosa should be hard to beat after her Galtres Stakes success at York the other day.

Camelot
© Racehorse Photos

Friday's Doncaster card is a cracker and features the Flying Childers Stakes where Lowther Stakes heroine Rosdhu Queen will attempt to complete a four-timer for Willie Haggas on September 14. Haggas landed this valuable sprint prize with Superstar Leo in the year that Millenary won the St Leger for John Dunlop. On the same day, Caravan Rolls On can continue his climb up the handicap ladder by adding the Mallard Handicap to his recent Newmarket success on his belated return to action.

Saturday September 15 brings the curtain down on the Classic season and in a poor year for three-year-old talent, Camelot looks to have the St Leger at his mercy. Aidan O'Brien's charge has always been a warm favourite for the final Classic and barring accidents, he should be very hard to beat while over at the Curragh, the Irish St Leger seems sure to be a more open race than its Doncaster equivalent.

The following week racing shifts north for three fine days of action at the Ayr Western Meeting that culminates with the Ayr Gold Cup, Europe's richest sprint handicap, on September 22. Dandy Nicholls has been a past master at sending out the winner of this 6f sprint but he lacks the ammunition these days for success in the big sprints and perhaps fellow trainer Richard Fahey can provide the winner with one from his many army of sprinters.

On September 28 Newmarket hosts the Group One Fillies' Mile on a lively card that also contains the Joel Stakes and the Oh So Sharp Stakes. The best, however, is reserved for Saturday September 29 when the Cambridgeshire is augmented by the Group One Sun Chariot and the Cheveley Park Stakes. In the former contest, the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Conduct catches the eye and at 14-1 he looks a decent bet for the first leg of the autumn double.

Malcolm Heyhoe writes weekly horse racing articles for GG.COM-Horse racing betting, information, news, results and free daily tips

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